Guards at uni now wearing cameras

SECURITY staff are now equipped with body-worn cameras to film campuses and halls while on patrol at a West university.

The University of Bristol announced that the measure, put in place yesterday, is partly to ensure students are complying with the coronavirus lockdown.

But other reasons have been cited including crime on campus, and to ensure “appropriate” interactions between students and security personnel.

The measure comes after police broke up a “reckless” party at student halls this month, with other breaches reported earlier in the pandemic.

Professor Sarah Purdy, the university’s pro-vice-chancellor for student experience, said: “In order to better protect students, staff and the wider university community our security officers may be wearing body worn cameras when they are patrolling campus and residences.

“This is something that has been under consideration for some time and has been used successfully by other universities.

“We have been working closely with colleagues from Bristol Students’ Union to ensure transparency, openness and understanding around the decision to implement this new technology.”

While many students are at home as lectures and seminars move online, some courses are still being delivered in person.

Prof Purdy said body-worn cameras – usually used by police and emergency service workers – will become a standard part of security officers’ uniform.

She said their use will “help us to resolve any disputes quickly and transparently”.

She added: “We hope this will improve trust and confidence between students and security staff, protecting both from unacceptable behaviour that can arise during stressful situations and help to identify people from outside of the university who are found on our property.”

Police broke up a party on Frogmore Street in the city centre on Friday, January 15, understood to have been at Unite House.

Avon and Somerset Police branded the gathering “reprehensible”, and fined two 19-year-old men for breaking Covid-19 rules.

Information on the university’s website states that body-worn cameras will be “always filming but not recording audio of footage”.

Security officers will start recording audio as well as filming when they are called to respond to an incident, or if they come across an incident while on patrol. Students will be notified when recording is turned on.